Notion
by Starry Requiem
Summary: He noticed a twinkle in her eye, and that was the moment when he realized… he loved her. / Vanitas and Aqua
1. Chapter 1

Here's a story about **Vanitas** **and Aqua. **

_**(**__ He noticed a t__**win**__kle in her __**eye**__, and that was the moment when he r__**eal**__ized… h__**e **__**love**__d h__**e**__r.__** )**_

_**

* * *

**_

Castle of Dreams was a terribly boring world; incredibly quiet and dull. There was no people walking about, it was just empty.

Vanitas sat in a tree, knee up and stared off at the only alluring part of the world. The Castle. Everyone was off there, because the Prince was getting married. No one in this world cared about anything; their lives were perfect. Nothing ever went wrong. The biggest problem was _who was the Prince going to marry? _And he chose some girl named Cind…Cindy? Ella. Something with an L. He wasn't too sure of the details.

That's why Xehanort sent him there, to unleash more of the Unversed there. To send the trio, Terra, Aqua, and Ven, in an uproar. But it was a stupid idea from a stupid man anyway. Vanitas wouldn't bother wasting any of the Unversed in this world, it's not like it would attract any of the three. They've all ready been to this world, they were much further along now. And soon enough, the time would come. The end was nearing; when Vanitas and Ventus could become one yet again, and forge the X-blade. That was perfect, that was meant to happen…

And suddenly, the quiet peace of Castle of Dreams was disturbed by a certain bluenette Vanitas knew all too well.

She just got off her glider and dismissed her armor. He noticed her blue eyes scanning the area, and then she immediately summoned her Keyblade when an Unversed appeared. "Unversed!" She hissed.

What? That didn't pop up there before. Probably it was because he was their leader, and the Unversed were practically trained to attack the trio as soon as they arrived on the scene. Vanitas blended in with the tree and the night-time sky, so he assumed Aqua didn't notice him.

As she fought the Unversed, he hopped out of the tree and swiftly landed on his feet behind her. "Having trouble?" He asked, voice smooth. Quickly, Aqua turned around, eyebrows furrowed and turned her Keyblade towards him. "You!" She yelled out in anger.

Behind his mask, he smirked and defeated the Unversed with one quick blow. "You don't need to thank me."

"Thank you?" She said, clenching a fist. "I didn't need your help." She replied, lowering her weapon slightly. It was true, she didn't. But Vanitas liked to show off, especially when it came to Aqua.

"What brings _you _here, _Master _Aqua?" He lowered his Keyblade and began to walk towards her. His voice was as dark as ever, and laced with sarcasm.

Apparently Aqua didn't like sarcasm, because she went back into guard mode. "I could ask you the same question." She said, stepping towards him hesitantly. He could tell, he freaked her out. Who could blame her? Vanitas would be scared if some guy in a mask followed him around, fought him, and ridiculed him every single time.

God he loved toying with her.

"I was here first." Vanitas replied smoothly, letting his Keyblade disappear. "I have no need to fight you right now. I suggest you do the same, you may be a Master and all, but I fear you might poke your eye out or something if you keep swinging that around like a little kid."

Aqua's mouth fell agape in shock and immediately she shook her head, snapping out of it, and struck him in the side. "You're not funny." It was so funny to him because she had _so _much anger towards him. What did he do to her? Except, well, fight her a few times.

Sometimes, it was almost like she hated him more than Ventus did…

The more she hated him, the more Vanitas wanted to make her hate him even more. He just wanted to give her a reason…

Or did he just want to get to know her?

No, no… that was wrong. And a stupid idea. Obviously the Ventus half of his heart was going crazy.

He grunted and held his side, but still didn't summon his Keyblade. "Why are you here?"

Aqua paused and stared him down for a few moments, until she finally decided to answer. "I'm just seeing if…things are safe." She mumbled, "Obviously not."

"Idiot." He muttered, "You're wrong. because I'm not here for trouble."

"Then why are you here?" She asked, raising a blue eyebrow. God, she was beautiful… Ugh, Ventus. Go away.

Vanitas shrugged. "Don't you ever just want to hide from your Master?"

Aqua was going to answer, but something else obviously caught her attention. "Who is your Master?"

Vanitas fell silent. Damn, that was a wrong move. But regardless, he still played it cool. And that's all Aqua saw, was a reflection of her own off of his mask and nothing else. "You don't answer a question with another question, Aqua."

Her lips turned into a slight pout and she made her Keyblade disappear. "I can't say I have. I… I love my Master, he's like family." She answered truthfully, and all Vanitas did was laugh. "Don't make fun…" She mumbled.

And then he immediately stopped. Another wrong move. "Alright then."

She made a confused face. "It's your turn now."

"My turn what?"

"…To answer the question."

"Oh." Vanitas mumbled, feeling silly. After pretending to think about it for a moment, he answered plain and simply: "No. I don't have to answer anything."

Aqua sighed. "Get out of here." She said, getting in battle stance again. "You're nothing but trouble, you freak."

And for some odd reason, he felt a tingle in his heart. Those words stung. Why was that? It was just Aqua, she was nothing special. So why did he care so much?

He frowned and stood there, watching her emotionlessly behind his mask. Uneasy, she stood there and stared back, waiting for him to make a move.

"Let me prove it to you." He offered, now he was the one that felt uneasy.

"Prove what?"

"That I'm…normal. I'm not just trouble." He continued. What did he just get himself into? The Master would be furious… Aqua didn't say anything. All she did was stand there, and all he could take that for was a yes. So Vanitas did the biggest thing of his life…

He took off his mask.

Aqua's mouth fell, as she saw him taking off his mask, she wasn't sure what to expect. She almost expected him to be faceless, but what she saw was much different. It was a face of a boy, a young boy around Ven's age. He had black spiky hair and bright gold eyes. The Masked Boy had a face, and it was human. How shocking.

She walked towards him, and hesitantly pressed her fingertips to his cheek. "Wow." She mumbled.

Vanitas slightly flinched at the physical contact, but attempted to relax. It was different, why was she doing that? How stupid.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked.

"To prove to you. I thought we went over this, imbecile." He muttered, feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable. Now, it was like she could see right through him.

She raised an eyebrow. "You're a bad person."

"How do you know?" He asked, annoyed. "You don't even know me…"

"Yes I do." She argued back. "I know you're evil, and you tried to hurt me and my friends before. _That's _what I know."

He rolled his eyes. "Get over it, you know nothing about me." He said, and began to walk towards the courtyard of the castle, away from Aqua.

"Wait…" She mumbled, running after him. "Help me get to know you. What's your name?"

"Doesn't matter." He replied, not looking at her.

Aqua sighed. "Yes it does. How am I supposed to get to know you if I don't know your name?"

"My name doesn't matter."

"Yes it does." She argued, her tone slightly more edgy than last time. "How do you figure that? You know my name."

He stood silent and they just walked for a few moments, until finally, he answered. "Vanitas." He mumbled.

"Va..nitas." She said it slowly, then smiled. "There, was that so hard?"

If only she knew how broken she just made him. He was so vulnerable, and was practically giving up everything… just so she could see what he looked like and put a name to his face. She wouldn't think about him ever again, unless they met again during battle… and little did she know, that he was borderline obsessed with her.

She was beautiful and perfect in every way. She was smart, beautiful, and a fighter. Perfect for him, and no one else. She should be his. But up until a minute ago, Aqua knew him as the 'evil' boy in the mask, now she just knew his name.

Aqua didn't feel the same. She _wouldn't _feel the same.

"No." He replied, awkwardly shifting his hands about.

They walked in silence towards the shining castle, it was awkward. An emotion that Vanitas wasn't very familiar with, and an emotion he didn't particularly enjoy.

Aqua decided to break the silence, "It's empty around here. I wonder where everyone is…"

"The Prince is to be wed tonight." Vanitas answered, staring up at the sky as he walked.

Aqua stopped dead in her tracks, "To Cinderella?"

That was her name. He nodded slowly, "I guess."

"I have to go!" She said, now running towards the castle. "Come on!" And she grabbed her new-found 'friend' (or foe, she wasn't too sure yet.) by the wrist and pulled him towards the castle. They would attend the ball together…

* * *

Okay, that was SO not the direction I wanted it to go in. I wanted it to be way more light-hearted and fun, and this was originally supposed to be a one-shot but that failed. So I might not continue because I think it sucks. But if you want me to continue, then just tell me so in **a review. **

If I decide to continue, they will attend the ball together and their 'friendship' will start to go places, I suppose. :) So leave a review and tell me how you feel! I promise it will get better, if I do continue. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** It's amazing how many reviews this got for just one chapter. When I first wrote it, and even when I read back on it now, it doesn't seem like anything special. To me it seems like a typical, silly VanitasxAqua story. And that's what the first chapter is to me, a newly found Vanqua fan's first attempt at writing a fiction for them. But this story became so popular. With the reviews, favorites, alerts and pms I've received for this story… how could I not continue it?

I am the sorry one here, I deeply apologize for how long it took me to continue. But I'm going to give it another go. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you all seemed to enjoy the first.

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**Notion**

_:: just take it all with you, don't look back ::_

* * *

His chest, throat, and head felt heavy and his heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest. He was so short of breath and as she grabbed his wrist and began to pull him towards Cinderella's Castle, his surroundings was one big blur.

What had he done? He felt the wind blow through his locks of black hair and saw the world fly past him with golden hues and not through a mask.

And there he was, hand in hand with the girl who was his sworn enemy.

"Where are you taking me?" He attempted to stop in his tracks but as she was running and pulling him at the same time, they both fell, on top of each other.

Oh how cliche. He thought with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh!" Aqua gasped, immediately beginning to pick herself off of the boy but he was faster and grabbed her wrist and within seconds flipped her over so she was on top.

"I said," He hissed, "Where are you taking me?"

Aqua scanned his face as he began to devilishly grin, his golden eyes twinkling. Her heart began to race with his sudden change of faith. What was she supposed to believe? "To the ball."

"You really trust me…" He purred, running a finger across her cheekbone. "in a room full of stupid townsfolk? I thought I was evil?"

"You're not." She replied, narrowing her eyes. "It's all an act. I see right through you."

"Oh?"

Aqua nodded. "I made you feel vulnerable. It's like I practically cornered you. Who knows how long you've been hiding behind that mask? Much rather tell someone your actual identity."

Vanitas smirked. "How do you know I wasn't lying?"

"You weren't." She replied.

Vanitas chuckled, she was right. "Touche, my pretty."

"And to finish my point, you felt vulnerable so you retreated to the bad guy act. But this isn't you."

"How do you know I just wasn't putting up a nice guy act?" He asked, now not playing a game as he was emotionally frustrated. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because you weren't." She replied once again, now smirking. "Get off of me, Vanitas."

And then there was a moment of silence as she won the verbal battle where there eyes locked. He was trying to figure her out, just as she was trying to figure him out. It didn't make sense, but it felt right somehow. Like this was how things were supposed to happen.

He got up. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"To the ball."

And Aqua smiled, "We don't have to go."

Vanitas turned towards her, grinning. "Oh, is that so? I thought Aqua would have loved to go to Cinderella's wedding."

Shamefully, she looked down at herself. Her clothes and battle scars. "I'm not dressed for a ball." Aqua admitted.

Vanitas snorted. "Idiot."

"Excuse me?"

"Let's go." Vanitas repeated himself, but now turning on his heel toward the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" She asked once again, puzzled.

"To the ball."

And Aqua smiled once again. "The Castle is that way."

"We have to get clothes first, right?" He grinned.

"Huh?" 

* * *

After following Vanitas down the trail and after constant question, after question of where they were going with not one answer in response, Aqua found herself in front of the Tremaine's household.

"What are we doing here?" She asked.

"Getting clothes." He responded.

"We can't steal!" She hissed. As proud as she was of Vanitas only moments ago, now she was the very opposite.

"Fine, fine. Let's call it making clothes." Vanitas corrected himself, breaking the door knob on the door and letting himself in.

Aqua crossed her arms and held her place on ground. "I'm not taking part in this."

"Okay, stay outside then. Just wait there." He teased as he walked further into the household.

"Vanitas!" She yelled, running after him into the house. "You can't do this."

Vanitas who was already halfway up the staircase stopped and grinned towards his blue-haired beauty. "You bring out the good in me…" He began and Aqua immediately turned her head towards the wall to shut him out, as if she knew what he was going to say.

"And I bring out the bad in you.' He winked, and with that, ascended up the staircase and into one of the rooms.

She must have waited ten, maybe fifteen minutes. But it felt so much longer as so much was going through her head. The fact that she couldn't stop staring at the clock didn't help time go by much faster either.

And that's when Vanitas walked down the stairs, holding the most beautiful dress in his hand. It was a ball-gown, but quite frankly, not something that Aqua expected to be in the Tremaine's closets.

It twinkled and looked like freshly used magic. Did he really do that for her?

Her jaw dropped. "Vanitas…"

"For you." He grinned. "It's not quite my color."

She shook her head. "I can't wear that. You stole it."

Vanitas just smiled. "Don't worry about it. Live life on the wild side for once. It's just a dress… for a stupid party."

Aqua, not quite knowing what had gotten into her, nodded. "You're right." She responded breathlessly, taking the dress into her hands. "It's beautiful."

* * *

When she descended down the staircase, it was Vanitas's turn to become breathless. The dress fit so well against her delicate figure and he noticed that it was tight in all the right spots, which only made him grin. It made her look so delicate and petite, like a fragile flower. He was afraid to touch her, as if she might break.

The dress was the colors of her battle clothes, just in dress form. And for lack of a better word she looked…

"Beautiful." He breathed.

"You think so?" She asked, smiling.

He nodded.

"Well what are you going to wear?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not really into that kind of stuff." He explained, plain and simply.

"Neither am I, but it's fun to pretend every once in awhile, isn't it?"

"I suppose you're right." He grinned. 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **AJKJFDSKFJDASFKJFJF. It's ridiculous how many pms I've received of people asking me to continue this. So I shall. I won't give up, I promise. :3 If you like it, leave a review as I'm pretty sure everyone that's reading this story knows I'm so unsure about it. xD

anywho, here we go. picking up where we left off. :3

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**Notion**

_**'**__she wore blue velvet, bluer than velvet was the night. softer than satin was the light  
from the stars. she wore blue velvet, bluer than velvet were her eyes. _

_love was ours.__**'**_

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Aqua's heart had fallen deep, deep to the pit of her stomach and she was getting ready to vomit. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She admired her reflection in the mirror, the Tremaine's ball gown made up of beautiful blue and purple hues fit perfectly against her figure. It hung loosely off her shoulders, her collarbones and neck exposed and bare.

Her hair was done up, a glittering headband to complete the look.

She looked beautiful.

But she was stealing. It was all wrong.

But Vanitas talked and made it seem as if it were right. But it wasn't. She knew that. He wasn't exactly right, either. He was evil, he had tried to hurt her and her friends many times before.

But once he took his mask off, Aqua was taken aback. She was entranced by the boy that stood in front of her. His face was soft and delicate, his hair black like the Darkness that surrounded him with golden eyes staring through her soul.

But she saw some bit of humanity in him once she saw his vulnerability. He reacted to this strange emotion but trying to scare her off, by attempting to act 'evil' once more.

But Aqua did not fall for it.

She knew that there was something more. And perhaps if she could crack him…

She could save him.

Maybe fighting with her Keyblade and Spells wasn't the way to go about this.

Maybe it was through his heart.

So Aqua went along with it. But she didn't expect herself to be talked into going to a ball and wear a _stolen _dress.

But, she was.

And she waited for Vanitas, who promised he'd only be gone a moment but it had been ten.

At the bottom of the staircase, a mirror hung off the wall. She applied any last minute preparations, lightly touching her hair to smooth out any loose pieces and then she heard a voice at the top of the staircase.

"My pretty." He greeted her, grinning from ear to ear. His delicate features were glowing, his smile made Aqua feel warm. He was dressed up in an all black suit, with a red hanky in the matched his armor, she thought.

"Vanitas…" She began, trying to hold back her smiles and chuckles. "This is wrong. We're stea-"

"No, we're not." He said, descending down the staircase. "We're _borrowing_, little bird. Stop stressing about it."

She sighed, trying to shake all of the annoying thoughts out of her head.

"You look beautiful." He complimented, smiling now as he gave her a look up and down.

She did not say anything back, only a playful smile. Was he actually hitting on her?"

"Shall we go, _my lady_?" He teased, holding his arm out for her to take it.

Aqua began to giggle like a little girl. "You're ridiculous."

"That's what makes me interesting." He raised his eyebrows up and down, his playful smile matching his features perfectly.

They were off to the ball.

* * *

Vanitas felt like he couldn't breathe. Whenever Aqua would turn her head the other way, he'd have a mini hyperventilating session and nervously run his fingers through his hair.

What exactly was he thinking?

He should have ran. Far, far, away.

Why did he even _engage _in conversation with her? She was just a stupid, _stupid _girl that he had absolutely no interest in.

…

Maybe some interest.

This was absolutely ridiculous to him. How was he supposed to keep this up?

He had orders to _eliminate _her for god's sake.

If his Master found out, he'd be dead.

Deader than dead.

He'd be chopped up and fed to Braig on Tuesday Brunch.

That's what they would do to him.

He cringed just thinking about it.

Vanitas turned his head to look at the _parasite _who took hold his arm, and she looked absolutely breath-taking. There was just something about the way she looked right now. Granted, Vanitas always thought she looked pretty. But there was something special about her tonight.

Maybe it was the delicate touches of makeup and how they brought out the blue in her eyes, or the blue velvet of her dress. The way her bluish hair was done up and glittered, or perhaps it was how the sapphires graced her neck.

Or maybe it was the look of relief upon her delicate features. There was no worry, no frustration, no anger. She was not panic, nor in a rush. She was enjoying herself. And it was as simple as that.

Tonight they were not sworn enemies.

But two normal people, going to a normal ball.

But if Vanitas was normal tonight, then Aqua was a Princess.

She sure looked like one.

They approached the Castle of Dreams, it was glittering in hues of light blue, sapphires and silver. The lights that shined off this castle reflected onto Aqua's face, he noted, seeing her eyes light up and a grin grace her features.

"I find this place so beautiful." She admitted, turning towards Vanitas. "It's… breath-taking."

"I agree." He said, but his honey eyes looked away from her features.

"Shall we go in?" She asked, eyes meeting his.

"Of course."


End file.
